A portable cooler is an ice chest and typically comprises a single insulated chamber where ice, in the form of cubes, sealed or unsealed blocks, or the like, is placed in the chamber in proximity with items to be cooled. Coolers are often taken on picnics, and on vacation or holiday. Where summers are hot, they may also be used just for getting cold groceries home from the store, such as keeping ice cream from melting in a hot automobile. Even without adding ice, this can be helpful, particularly if the trip home will be lengthy. Cooling the internal volume of air within the chamber and sealing the chamber improves the function of the cooler. When a large amount of goods (for example, cans of beverages) are placed into the chamber, the volume of air is reduced. When the amount of ice is greater, a sustained cooling effect can be maintained for a greater period of time. More air to be cooled reduces the overall effectiveness of the portable cooler. It is a disadvantage of the cooler where the cooler is opened to replace or retrieve goods within the cooler, external air enters the chamber and must be further chilled by the ice in order to maintain the internal coolness of the cooler. It would be desirable to provide a cooler with a cover that can minimize the exchange of external air when the cooler is opened by minimizing the size of the opening.